Three-month old Mohd Wasir Abdul Salam was born with a deformed spine, also known scientifically as spina bifida. Even more sadly, he also suffers from hydrocephalus, an abnormal buildup of fluids in the brain.
According to his mother, 32-year-old Mariana Abu, the youngest sibling of four had undergone surgical operation to close the opening on the back when Mohd Wasir was just three days old and another to remove excessive fluids in the brain the week after.
“He needs to obtain follow-up treatments weekly at Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital (HRPB) Ipoh,” she said. “We have to get up as early as 6am to catch the bus.
“I have to ride the motorcycle from my house to the town of Parit before getting on the bus to Ipoh,” Mariana explained. “After that, I need to catch another bus that heads to HRPB.
“Every time I go to the hospital, I have to leave before 12pm or else, I would miss the bus back to Parit which only operates once every four hours,” she lamented. “RM50 is my only budget for a trip to Ipoh and back.”
Mariana also shared that her husband who works as a labourer in an oil palm estate only has a monthly income of RM650. The family had once owed RM150 in treatment fees due to insufficient household funds.
Readers who would like to offer a helping hand to the family may contribute to their Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) account 0821 3411 0000 4539 or contact them at 019 456 9492.
Rosli Mansor
